Paulina Kaiser1, Norrina Allen2, Joseph A C Delaney3, Calvin H Hirsch4, Mercedes Carnethon2, Alice M Arnold5, Michelle C Odden6. 1. School of Biological & Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 2. Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. 3. College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. 4. Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis. 5. Collaborative Health Studies Coordinating Center & Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle. 6. School of Biological & Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis; Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Electronic address: modden@stanford.edu.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Although social support has been shown to be associated with survival among persons with cardiovascular disease, little research has focused on whether social support, measured before the onset of heart failure, can enhance survival after diagnosis. The objective of this study was to assess the association between prediagnosis social support and postdiagnosis survival among older adults with heart failure. METHODS: We obtained the data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, which included noninstitutionalized adults aged 65 years or older from four sites in the United States with primary enrollment in 1989-1990. We used two measures of social support, the Lubben Social Network Scale and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. The analytic data set included 529 participants with a social support measure within two years before diagnosis of heart failure. RESULTS: After adjustment for demographic covariates, cardiovascular risk factors, and general health status, mortality rates were lower among participants in the highest tertile of social network scores (HR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.59, 0.93) and the middle tertile (HR 0.73 [0.58, 0.90]), compared with the lowest tertile. Results with interpersonal support were null. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that prediagnosis structural social support may modestly buffer heart failure patients from mortality.
PURPOSE: Although social support has been shown to be associated with survival among persons with cardiovascular disease, little research has focused on whether social support, measured before the onset of heart failure, can enhance survival after diagnosis. The objective of this study was to assess the association between prediagnosis social support and postdiagnosis survival among older adults with heart failure. METHODS: We obtained the data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, which included noninstitutionalized adults aged 65 years or older from four sites in the United States with primary enrollment in 1989-1990. We used two measures of social support, the Lubben Social Network Scale and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. The analytic data set included 529 participants with a social support measure within two years before diagnosis of heart failure. RESULTS: After adjustment for demographic covariates, cardiovascular risk factors, and general health status, mortality rates were lower among participants in the highest tertile of social network scores (HR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.59, 0.93) and the middle tertile (HR 0.73 [0.58, 0.90]), compared with the lowest tertile. Results with interpersonal support were null. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that prediagnosis structural social support may modestly buffer heart failurepatients from mortality.
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